first lady michelle obama got a first look at the convention podium she'll be speaking from tuesday. president obama stayed on the campaign trail. >> i've got one piece of advice for you about the romney/ryan game plan, ohio. pump it away. it won't work. >> reporter: at a labor union rally in toledo with auto and steelworkers the president said a mitt romney presidency would hurt the middle class. >> you could choose to give massive new tax cuts on folks who have already made it or you can choose my plan. >> reporter: the labor message continued in michigan as vice president biden kept up the anti-republican attack in detroit. >> they view you, the working women and men of america, as the problem. we view you and know you to be the solution in america. >> reporter: but as democrats hammered republicans on the road gop vice presidential candidate paul ryan responded in their own convention state of north carolina. >> we can either choose to stay on the path that we are on, a path of debt, a path of doubt and decline, a path of joblessness or we can get things turned around. >> reporte